Tulane to Transform Historic Charity Hospital into $500 Million Research Campus

Charity Hospital, a New Orleans landmark that served the city’s most vulnerable patients before being shuttered in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, is slated for a $500 million transformation into a biomedical research facility. Tulane University announced plans to begin construction this fall, with completion targeted for 2029, creating space for hundreds of researchers, biotech startups and educational programs. Tulane President Michael Fitts called the effort the most significant undertaking in the school’s history, while Dean of the School of Medicine Lee Hamm recalled the hospital’s heroic role during the storm.

The project follows other post-Katrina demolition efforts, such as the recent tearing down of Lindy Boggs Medical Center. New Orleans Mayor Helena Moreno praised the redevelopment as a “welcome step forward” for the community. The new hub is intended to spur medical advances that benefit the broader Gulf South region.